Nikita Season 3 Episode 3 – True Believer

A man named Joshua, leader of Third Wave, is speaking to a group of domestic terrorists. Mia steps out of the room to take a call from Fletcher and asks for more time undercover. The FBI raids interrupting their call and Mia is arrested.

Division. Fletcher briefs Nikita and the team on extracting Mia from a supermax facility. “She’s been undercover for over a year.”

“Undercover? For who?” Nikita asks. “Can’t be for us. Because we’re just here to contain rogue agents right?”

Ryan explains that he allowed her mission to continue after she was recalled because she requested it and “It is a good mission. Division is different now.” Her mission was to identify Joshua’s true identity. Ryan Fletcher asks what Division’s protocol is for extracting an agent. Nikita, Michael, Sean, and Alex all look at him a bit surprised.

Michael replies, “We never had one. Percy’s rule was if you got caught you did your time. And if you talked Roan would show up to cancel them.”

Nikita walks out saying she will get her out. Alex follows her out. Nikita is upset Division is still running active missions. She doesn’t trust Ryan’s boss.

Carver Municipal Arena in Selkirk, Virginia. Michael and Sean, posing as FBI, are on site questioning why Third Wave is interested in the facility. A small group of private security arrives led by Nick Anson and reveals that the senator will be hosting an event to welcome home some troops.

Division. Nikita is talking to Birkhoff at his desk about extracting Mia. He’s adamant it is a futile attempt. Sonya walks in with the prison schematics. Birkhoff and Sonya are still avoiding each other. Birkhoff explains they have proprietary software at the prison he hasn’t had time to hack yet. Sonya is confident she can get eyes inside. Nikita stirs the tension between them. Sonya congratulates Nikita on her engagement and leaves to work on the software.

Supermax Holding Facility in Smoketree, Virginia. It’s night. Alex pushes a food cart through the prison toward Mia’s cell. She arrives at the door and Nikita unwinds from inside the cart. She uses some kind of chemical to dissolve the lock. Then has to defend herself and try talk Mia into cooperating to come back to Division. Mia listens but is skeptical of a changed Division.

Mia is played be Scottie Thompson who I recognized from her recurring role as Jeanne Benoit on NCIS, Tony’s love interest whom he got involved with during an undercover mission starting in NCIS Season 4. But I digress…

Mia changes into an FBI uniform, Nikita takes the prison jumpsuit and Alex removes the cook uniform and puts on a guard uniform. They start their exit. Sonya misses seeing a guard that surprises the team. Mia approaches the guard, Nikita reports that she thinks they’re OK. But Mia takes down the guard and grabs his gun. She shoots Alex as Alex is pushing Nikita out of the way. Mia hollers, “You’ll never stop Third Wave!” as she drives off in the prison van. Nikita reports Alex is down.

Division corridor. Alex is bleeding bad from the gunshot to her right shoulder. Nikita and Sean Pierce are at her side until she is taken into surgery. Nikita’s arms are covered in Alex’s blood.

Birkhoff is not happy and lecturing the agents in tactical. Sonya tries to defend the team. A still bloody Nikita walks in, “You all did a great job. Get ready for more.” Michael asks if she is OK. Ryan and Michael fill her in out Senator Herek’s troop welcome at the arena. Ryan apologizes for not realizing Mia was unstable and should have been pulled out. Nikita replies, “You couldn’t have known she’d turn.” Nikita is clearly upset. She snaps out some orders to get Mia’s phone to Birkhoff and starts walking away to go clean up. Ryan asks, “Why do you think she turned?” “She shot Alex. I don’t care!”

Third Wave Staging Area in Selkirk, Virginia. An old factory type structure. Mia reunites with others who escaped the FBI raid. Then meets with Joshua who recently arrived. Joshua is examining an explosive vest. He’s suspicious of how she got away from the FBI. Mia explains how she started as an undercover operative for Division. Joshua grabs her throat. She tells him that she left Division, and she’s with him now. “I’m tired of doing the dirty work for men like Senator Herek.” She wants to wear the vest.

Birkhoff is reading emails at the computer of who Joshua warped Mia. Alex walks up with her shoulder bandaged and arm in a sling. “Why don’t you let them set you up with a Morphine drip or something?” She gives him an annoyed look. “That would be great. Send me out a bender face first.” “Oh right.” (Recall that Alex was sold into the sex trade before Nikita rescued her a second time.)

Birkhoff uncovers numbered bank accounts in the Caymans tied to Joshua, he’s not the idealist he appears to be. They locate the staging area for Third Wave.

Third Wave Staging Area. Nikita, Michael, and other Division agents arrive. Nikita confronts Joshua, asking for Mia. Mia walks out with the explosive vest on and trigger in hand. Joshua warns Nikita that hitting the gel in the vest won’t be good as he walks out. Down the stairs and Michael attacks Joshua, however he backs off as Joshua brandishes a knife and another terrorists starts shooting. Joshua makes his escape. Back upstairs. Mia tells Nikita how she inspired her by standing up to Division. “I didn’t think there was a way to make it right. Until one person stood up.” “Who Joshua?” “You.” Nikita starts to lower her gun, shocked at the revelation. Mia continues, “You were supposed to tear that place down. You kept it running!”

Nikita replies, “Division is different now.” They struggle over the trigger for the vest. Mia regains her feet, “I’m willing to die for what I believe in. Are you willing to die for Division?” Nikita hesitates and Mia throws her out the window onto some palettes below.

Division. Nikita’s turn in medical. Alex sits down beside her. Surprised at Mia’s determination. Nikita explains she felt like she was looking into a mirror. Nikita questions her own commitment.

Michael and Sean are sparring. Michael demonstrating how Joshua attacked with the knife. As a former seal, Sean recognizes the special forces training. Sean jokes with Michael about being slow now that he’s engaged.

Fletcher shows Nikita the money trail behind Joshua. Nikita replies, “Mia’s traded one lie for another. She has no idea.” Ryan plans for Michael and Nikita to attend the event as FBI and take out Mia. Nikita surprises Ryan when she insists they stick with the original mission to extract Mia alive.

Birkhoff’s Lab. He introduces the Birkhoff Unmanned Tactical Robot, a small and quiet flying drone with a camera. Nikita smiles, “The BUTR” Birkhoff replies, “The ‘butter’. Cause it’s slick like that.” He also gives Nikita an extendable baton with an electric shock that should knock out the vest carrier without exploding the bomb.

Carver Municipal Arena. Michael and Nikita arrive on site with Anson’s security team.

Division. Sean walks into visit with Alex in the infirmary as she looks at Mia’s profile on a tablet. Sean’s questioning their current mission at Division as well and tells Alex, “What do you believe? If you are here for Nikita I’m not sure that’s such a good idea. Especially if she’s having doubts. You could have a life again.”

Alex holds out the tablet, “You see this woman? This woman threw her out a window and she still wants to save her. You want to know what I believe in? Nikita.” Sean nods in understanding. Alex asks, “What about you? You were never Division in the first place. Why are you still here?” “I guess some things are worth fighting for.”

Later at the Arena as the event is getting under way. Nikita sees Mia entering the stands and quickly makes her way there. But Mia isn’t wearing the vest.

We see another man passing through security and arming the vest.

Nikita looks around in desperation then grabs Mia, “Who’s wearing the vest?!” She refuses to answer. Nikita tries to explain the information on Joshua and how he’s in it for the money. Mia reveals that Joshua is special ops, not a seal. Nikita relays the information to Division after hitting Mia again in the leg with the electrified baton.

Sean quickly finds a photo of Joshua, real name Travis Ryerson, with Anson in the same unit and suspect they are partners. Sean leaves to take a chopper to the arena. Alex relays the information to Michael.

Michael confronts Anson with the photo on his tablet. Anson calmly insists he hasn’t seen Travis. Anson walks away then starts firing at Michael and gets away.

Nikita is still in the stands with Mia trying to explain the new Division. Michael contacts Nikita to fill her in on Anson and Joshua’s arrangement to create a threat then charge to secure against it. Nikita asks for hard proof to show Mia.

Sonya works with Birkhoff to send his Butter drone into the tunnels relaying it’s signal through the buildings Wi-Fi.

In the stands, Nikita and Mia are fighting again.

Joshua and Anson start arguing over how to handle the situation and kidnap the senator in the chaos of the explosion.

Birkhoff’s Butter drone finds them and streams the video to Nikita’s phone which she quickly shows to Mia. “What have I done.”

Mia looks down at all the innocent lives and agrees to help Nikita, “Salvador’s the bomber. He’s down there. I’ll stop him. There’s two other spotters we’ve gotta take out first.”

“Whoa. No killing.”

Backstage in the arena. Michael and Sean make quick work of taking down Anson and Joshua. This time Michael is ready for the knife and turns it against Joshua.

Nikita knocks out the spotters. Then sees the bomber approaching the stage. Mia makes her way down the stairs behind the bomber. She tries to talk to him but some people see the bomb vest and alert security. The bodyguards draw their weapons. Knowing that will set off the bomb Mia shields Salvador with her own body taking multiple shots to the back. Nikita pistol whips Salvador before he can detonate. Back at Division, Sonya and Birkhoff share a sigh of relief (and appear to be working better together).

Nikita goes to Mia’s side and calls for a medic as Mia struggles to breathe. Mia thanks Nikita before she dies.

Division. Ryan’s office. He’s closing the file on Mia. “It’s not right. Soldiers get a flag. CIA gets a star on the wall. Division just deletes you.” states Nikita as she walks in. Ryan replies, “It’s hard to make a memorial to someone who doesn’t exist.”

Nikita asks Fletch to promise no more active missions. And he does promise. Then she teases him about getting with the current century and clean up all the paper files on his desk.

“I know where here to take down the worst of the worst I just thought that maybe we could save more of them.” Ryan replies, “You know. Mia died a hero because of you. You did save her.” Nikita smiles a little. Then starts to help him clean up the files.

Lot of action in this episode. Scottie Thompson played a nice role as rogue agent Mia. We saw a little more development in the relationships from the whole ensemble; Sonya and Birkhoff, Sean and Alex, Michael and Nikita though Fletcher doesn’t have a love interest. Not sure that anyone else in Division has a name at this point, they all seem like extras. The teaser for next week looks like Amanda is back.